1“Kuthiwa uma indoda ilahla umkayo,
abesemuka abe ngowenye indoda,
isayakubuyela kuye na?
Lelo zwe belingayikungcoliswa kakhulu na?
Kepha wena ofebile nezithandwa eziningi
ubuyela kimi,” usho uJehova.
2“Phakamisela amehlo akho
emadulini angenalutho, ubone;
kuphi lapho ongalalwanga khona na?
Ngasezindleleni ubahlalele
njengomArabiya ehlane,
walingcolisa izwe ngobufebe
nangobubi bakho.
3Ngalokho izihlambi zinqandiwe,
nemvula yamuva ayibangakho.
Nokho wawunebunzi lesifebe,
wala ukuba namahloni.
4Awusand' ukukhala kimi ukuthi:
‘Baba, wena ungumngane wobusha bami, na?
5Uyakuhlala enentukuthelo njalonjalo,
ayigcine kuze kube nini na?’
Bheka, ukhuluma kanjalo;
uyenza okubi, uyaphumelela.”
6UJehova wathi kimi emihleni kaJosiya inkosi: “Ubonile okwenziwe ngu-Israyeli ohlehlayo na? Ukhuphukele kuzo zonke izintaba eziphakemeyo naphansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza, wafeba khona. 7Ngathi uzakubuyela kimi esekwenzile konke lokhu, kodwa akabuyanga; udadewabo okhohlisayo, uJuda, wakubona. 8Ngabona ukuthi noma ngangimlahlile u-Israyeli ohlehlayo ngalesi sizathu sokuthi uphingile, ngamnika incwadi yesahlukaniso, udadewabo okhohlisayo, uJuda, akesabanga nokho, kepha waya wafeba naye, 9nangokuzwakala kokufeba kwakhe langcoliswa izwe, waphinga nemithi namatshe. 10Kepha kukho konke lokhu udadewabo okhohlisayo, uJuda, akabuyelanga kimi ngenhliziyo yonke, kuphela ngokuzenzisa nje,” usho uJehova.
11Wayesethi uJehova kimi: “U-Israyeli ohlehlayo ubonakele elungile kunoJuda okhohlisayo. 12Hamba umemezele lawa mazwi ngasenyakatho, uthi:
“ ‘Buya wena Israyeli ohlehlayo,’ usho uJehova;
‘angiyikuninyakamela,
ngokuba nginomusa,’ usho uJehova;
‘angiyakugcina intukuthelo kuze kube phakade.
13Yazi kuphela ububi bakho
ukuthi uphambukile kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho,
wazihlakaza izindlela zakho kubo abezizwe
phansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza;
anililalelanga izwi lami,’ ” usho uJehova.
14“Buyani, bantwana abahlehlayo,” usho uJehova, “ngokuba ngingumyeni wenu, nginithabathe, abe munye emzini, babe babili emndenini, nginiyise eSiyoni, 15ngininike abelusi ngokwenhliziyo yami, abayakunalusa ngokwazi nangokuhlakanipha. 16Kuyakuthi lapho nanda, nichume ezweni, ngalezo zinsuku,” usho uJehova, “bangasayikusho ukuthi: ‘Umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova;’ awuyikungena enhliziyweni, abayikuwukhumbula; abayikuwuswela, akusayikwenziwa omusha. 17Ngalolo suku bayakulibiza iJerusalema ngokuthi isihlalo sobukhosi sikaJehova; izizwe zonke ziyakubuthana kulo, kulo igama likaJehova eJerusalema; azisayikuhamba ngenkani yezinhliziyo zazo ezimbi. 18Ngalezo zinsuku indlu yakwaJuda iyakuya endlini yakwa-Israyeli, ziphume kanyekanye ezweni lasenyakatho, ziye ezweni engalinika oyihlo libe yifa labo.
19“Mina bengithi:
“ ‘Ngiyakukubeka kanjani phakathi kwabantwana,
ngikuphe izwe elinxanelekayo,
ifa elihle kakhulu ezizweni!’
Ngathi: Niyakungibiza ngokuthi ‘Baba’,
ningabuyi ekungilandeleni.
20Impela njengomfazi emkhohlisa umyeni,
kanjalo ningikhohlisile
nina ndlu ka-Israyeli,” usho uJehova.
21Izwi liyezwakala emadulini angenalutho,
ukukhala nokukhuleka kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli,
ngokuba bayihlanekezele indlela yabo,
bakhohlwa uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.
22“Buyani nina bantwana abahlehlayo,
ngikuphulukise ukuhlehla kwenu.”
“Bheka, sesifikile kuwe,
ngokuba unguJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.
23Impela amagquma ayize
kanye nomsindo wasezintabeni.
Ngokwempela ukusindiswa kuka-Israyeli
kukuJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.
24UBosheti* uqedile umshikashika wawobaba kwasebusheni bethu,
izimvu zabo, nezinkomo zabo,
namadodana abo, namadodakazi abo.
25Masilale phansi namahloni,
ihlazo lethu lisisibekele,
ngokuba sonile kuJehova uNkulunkulu wethu,
thina nawobaba,
kusukela ebusheni bethu kuze kube namuhla,
asililalelanga izwi likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.”
